Tempeh With Mushrooms, Mustard, and Red Wine Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
8 slices fresh ginger
2 1-inch pieces kombu (a sea vegetable available at health food stores)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 garlic cloves, sliced
6 cups water
8-oz. pkg. tempeh, sliced diagonally
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 shallots, finely diced
1 cup red wine
1 cup tempeh reserved liquid
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. cold vegan margarine

• Over medium heat, whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, kombu, sea salt, garlic, and water in a large pot. Add the tempeh and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Braise for 1 hour.
• Remove the tempeh from the liquid and place on a plate. Reserve 1 cup of the liquid.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over high heat.
• Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Dredge the tempeh slices, then fry both sides until golden brown. Remove from the pan.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until golden brown and the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add the red wine and cook until 1/2 the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the tempeh back to the pan and add the reserved liquid. Cook until 1/2 the liquid has evaporated. Whisk in the mustard and vegan margarine and cook for 1 minute. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper.
• Serve the tempeh with plenty of the sauce spooned over it.

Makes 4 servings